


The Key

by Andre_Anders99



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, American Football Player Dean Winchester, Apiologist Castiel, Ashamed, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Chuck mentioned - Freeform, Closeted, College, Cute, Dean Winchester - Freeform, Destiel - Freeform, F/M, Gabriel mentioned - Freeform, Human Castiel, John Winchester Mentioned - Freeform, M/M, Mary Winchester mentioned - Freeform, PDA, Professor Bobby Singer, Sam Winchester mentioned, Supernatural - Freeform, charlie bradbury mentioned - Freeform, coward - Freeform, gay relationship, relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 18:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15846474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andre_Anders99/pseuds/Andre_Anders99
Summary: Dean is a college quarterback. Castiel is the son of the school's Dean. And Bobby is a Professor teaching world religions, and accidentally discovers his foster son's secret.





	The Key

**Author's Note:**

> I was in my world religions class, and my professor had us pull out our keys. He went on to explain some stuff that that doesn't matter right now, but it gave me this idea, and long story short I wrote this rather than my essay. This is my first fic, it isn't award winning but it was fun to write. Enjoy!

“After Taboo we have Totems. An idea and belief that one has a spiritual connection to an object or creature. While most associate this with totem poles and Native Americans, you might be surprised by how many of you here today practice this. Anyone have any idea how we might do that?” Professor Singer looked around the auditorium, his students looking back at him with blank expressions. With a huff, he went on, “Fine, if none of you will volunteer I’ll make you all participate. Everyone take out your keys. Take ’em out, and put them on your desk. Come on, hop to it idjits.” 

Everyone grumbled a bit but did as they were told, when the jangling sounds of metal ceased Bobby walked up to the student sitting in the front row on the far left.  
The young woman seemed to squirm a bit when Bobby took her keys into his hand, after a moment he set them back down.

“Why a Mickey Mouse keychain?”

“Uh… I got it when I went to Disney for my senior trip in high school.”

“So when you look at it does it remind you of that time?”

“Uh, yeah actually. It was really fun.” She smiled at the memory.

He nodded and passed up four students seeing they had just keys when he came to Dean he had to pick on him a little. The oldest Winchester was like a son to Bobby, and he was proud of the boy for going to college and for being the school’s quarterback. Dean sighed audibly when Bobby scooped the keys off his desk, he recognized the key to the Impala, the spare to Bobby’s own house and Dean’s apartment key, one of the keychains but one was new and confusing to Bobby.

“What’s with the bee?” Bobby asked. He smiled at Dean’s flush when he pointed to the little gold honeybee keychain that hung next to a matching gold key. Dean fidgeted and cleared his throat.

“Just a keychain, thought it looked cool.” Dean tried to avoid answering and wouldn’t quite meet Bobby’s eye. With a quick shrug, Bobby moved on, examining every set of keys and asking the students why they had particular keys or charms, and what sentimental value they held. 

One guy had a donut keychain because he loves sweets, another had a key with a ghost pattern and said it was to the office where he and his roommate recorded their podcast Ghost Facers. A girl with bright red hair had a keyboard key with the letter “C”, for her name and it was her first computer. The girl with the rabbit's foot threw him for a loop, not expecting to find someone so young practice such a superstition. When he got to his last student in the back row he picked up the keys and saw several things that confused him. This guy had a Jeep key, a gold key, a silver key with a matching keychain that read “67”, and then… a key to Dean’s Impala? Attached to a pie keychain? What in the hell? Bobby looked at the student, he couldn’t remember his first name but he knew the kid was Dean Shirley’s son, and Shirley looked pale. Actually, he looked scared shitless, his eyes were wide and he looked like he was sweating.

“A pie keychain? What’s the story there?” Bobby didn’t want to make any assumptions yet.

“I… Uh, my… Boyfriend. Really likes pie.”

“So, whenever you go anywhere do you think of him?”

“Yes… it does.”

“And how does that make you feel? Carrying a reminder of him?”

“… Safe.” Novak said shyly, a few girls in the class made doting sounds. Bobby lightly set the keys down and made his way to the front of the class again.

“So, you can see that we all carry things with us for emotional reasons, superstitious reasons, or physical reasons. We all have totems that comfort and hone us.” He glanced quickly at his roll sheet. Castiel, Right!

Bobby finished his lecture on the common features of religion then grabbed the stack of essays he graded the night before. He thumbed through them and jotted an extra note on two of them. Once he had passed them out to their owners and explained what assignments were due next week he released his class. Leaning against the podium at the front of the room he waited till everyone but two cleared out. When Dean and Shirley remained Bobby closed the classroom door and stared the two down.

“Sit. Now.” Bobby grumbled. They both sat in the two front desks and looked guilty as shit. “Talk.” Bobby looked directly at Dean, waiting for an explanation. When the boy didn’t speak Bobby rolled his eyes and turned to the Shirley kid. “Why do you have both a key to Dean’s car and his apartment? And a keychain of his jersey number?”

“I…” The blue-eyed boy looked lost and panicked, he looked to Dean for a sense of direction. Dean had his face buried in his hands.

“And we come back to you, Dean. Don’t make me get Ellen in here, cause she’ll torture the answers out’a ya.”

“Dean…” Castiel spoke. This got Dean to pull his hands away and look at him. “If you can’t say it maybe we shouldn’t be…” Castiel looked away and swallowed, Deans eyes became glassy.

“I don’t want to assume nothin’, but Dean you got nothing to worry about with me or your brother. You shouldn’t be ashamed of anything.”

“Ashamed?” Dean looked from Bobby to Castiel. “Is that what you think I feel, Cas?” When Castiel didn’t respond or look at Dean, Bobby saw Dean’s expression turn angry. “I’m not. I’m not ashamed of anything. Bobby, this is Cas. My boyfriend, we’ve been dating for two years now, and I love him. He’s going to be an Apiologist, that's why I have a bee next to the key to his apartment. He has a key to my apartment because I gave it to him, and he has a key to the Impala because aside from Sammy he’s the only person I would ever trust to drive Baby. He’s freaking awesome and he’s crazy smart. And just so both of you know! I kept our relationship a secret because I tend to lose everyone I care about: my mom, my dad,… Adam. And as I got to know Cas I realized that he was way too fucking good for me. So, rather than share our relationship, I decided to be selfish for once in my life and keep him all to myself. So, I’m not ashamed of being bisexual or of Cas. I’m… I’m just… I’m a coward.” Dean shook his head at the ground, then stormed out of the room.

It was a long moment before Bobby or Cas spoke.

“Well, that didn’t go exactly like I expected,” Bobby said with a long sigh.

“It’s Dean, he lashes out on instinct. What were you expecting?” Castiel is staring at his desk like it insulted him.

“More of a ‘Hey this my boyfriend, I was going to bring him to dinner to introduce him to the family.’ But looks like he had something brewing for a while.” Bobby saw Castiel slouch lower in his chair. “You know, that boy is like a son to me. I’ve known him his whole life, and I can tell this in all honesty… He’s an idiot. He’s stupid and impulsive… But he’s loyal and kind, and funny, and he loves with his whole heart. And you should know, I’ve never heard him talk about someone like he just did you. So, I’m sorry that I ruined things between you two that-“

“You didn’t ruin anything. I have to go.” Castiel’s eyes had a glint to them and his mouth quirked up into a small smile before he ran out the classroom door. Bobby heard someone yelp and then Cas gave a quick apology, a moment later Ellen stepped in.

“What the hell was that Shirley boy runnin’ from?”

“Not from, for. He’ll be joining us for Sunday dinner.” Bobby shook his head but was smiling.

“Oh?” His wife asked and moved closer.

“Yep, seems like that idjit we consider a son tricked the boy into dating him.”

“Wow, big morning and it’s not even ten.” Ellen smiled and kissed Bobby’s cheek.

…

Cas stepped out of the philosophy building and spotted Dean halfway across the campus's main square. He quickly ran towards him, weaving through the mass of other students who were going to and from classes. When he got closer to he called out Dean’s name, he saw him turn but quickly start walking again. Cas groaned loudly and started sprinting, which was normally something he enjoyed but not in this humidity and in jeans. Still, in a slew of their peers, Cas grabbed Dean’s arm in an attempt to stop him. Dean quickly tries to wrench his arm away, but the football quarterback couldn’t break Cas’ hold.

“Let me go, Cas.” Dean didn’t look at him when he said it. People were slowing down at the sight of them, thinking there was going to be a fight. “Just let me go, and walk away.” Dean forced himself to look at Cas.

“No. I’m not going anywhere. Even when everyone else is gone, I’ll still be here. So you’ll just have to put up with me because I love you!” Cas bore his blue eyes onto Dean’s green ones. They both stared at each other, daring the other to move first. Dean couldn’t hold back a second longer, and he grabbed Cas by the front of his polo. He kissed Cas like it was the first and last time he would ever be able to touch him, taste him or feel him. Dean put every ounce of love he had into the kiss, leaving both of them breathless and dizzy. When they pulled apart neither of them spoke, they just looked at each other. Then at the same time, they realized that the campus had become eerily quiet and when they looked around them they saw dozens of people staring at them. “Uh, hello,” Cas said shyly. Everyone began to laugh and cheer and applaud, making the two blush a deep shade of red.

“Well, I guess we’re out now.” Dean huffed a laugh, then shrugged and kissed Cas again.

Dean kissed Cas like that every day after. Every time it was both an apology for being an ass during there first two years of their relationship and a declaration of how much he loved Castiel.


End file.
